So, here's the whole story . . from the beginning. Wednesday I worked all day (6:30-3pm), came home and napped, bathed, finished packing, and then Matt and I left for the hospital around 7:30pm. Here is my last pregnancy shot . . . 38 weeks and 6 days.
Once we arrived at Lakeside Hospital (which is actually not anywhere near a lake), we went to ER to be admitted and arrived in our room a little after 8pm. The nurse, April, came in and started my IV and placed the cervidil. I really liked April, she was so supportive and really took great care of us. Anyway, the cervidil took immediate effect, and by 1 am my contractions were coming in groups of 3 and 4 (and not returning to baseline) . . . it was extremely painful. So by 2am, I asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist did an awesome job - after that, I felt nothing! (no pain, and also, no legs - I could feel nothing below my belly button . . . I kept touching my legs to make sure they were still there. It was really a weird, out-of-body experience!) After this, Matt finally dosed off for some sleep, but I just couldn't. At 5 am, April started the pitocin, and I was dilated 2cm, effaced 70%. At 7am, we got a new nurse, Linda . . . who had been doing L&D for 30 yrs! She was extremely knowledgeable and also took excellent care of us. Dr. Grace came in around 9am and broke my water (which I could not feel, thank God!). By 12 noon, I was dilated 8-9 cm and fully effaced with contractions. By 2pm, I was fully dilated, but the baby was still a little high (+1 to 0, for those who know what that means), so Linda said to wait just a little while longer to let the baby come down. By 3:30pm, I was ready to push and just waiting for the doctor to get there - so I got my epidural redosed. Just before 4pm, Dr. Grace arrived and I started pushing. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging . . . Linda coaching me through it all, telling me when to push and when to breathe.These are pictures of me (and of me and Matt), just before the pushing . . .
At 4:39 pm central time, Harrison Grey Raynor was born . . . 5 lb 7oz and 19 3/4 inches long. The experience was almost surreal . . . I just couldn't believe I was holding my little boy! Then, I just remember being overwhelmingly tired. I felt like I could hardly hold my eyes open. Our first picture together . . . me and Grey . . .
Just after the delivery - Matt, Dr. Grace, Grey and I . . .
I think Grey was more awake than I was at this point . . .
First moments of life, and a camera flash in your face! How happy would you be!
Getting weighed was not fun either . . .
Matt and Grey the next day . . .
Now this picture almost broke my heart . . . definitely brought tears to my eyes - look at his little heels. He had had to have multiple blood sticks, and bandaids covered his little heels.
After sitting on ice for 24 hrs, and 2 days in the hospital with horrible hospital food and no privacy, we were discharged home. Saturday morning, we met with the pediatrician, and then around 11:30am, we packed up our room and Matt went to get the car. I was told to wait for the wheelchair, which arrived with a 79 yr old woman to push me out. I felt so guilty riding in the wheelchair with her pushing it! I felt like I should be giving her the ride!
Just after the delivery - Matt, Dr. Grace, Grey and I . . .
I think Grey was more awake than I was at this point . . .
First moments of life, and a camera flash in your face! How happy would you be!
Getting weighed was not fun either . . .
Matt and Grey the next day . . .
Now this picture almost broke my heart . . . definitely brought tears to my eyes - look at his little heels. He had had to have multiple blood sticks, and bandaids covered his little heels.
After sitting on ice for 24 hrs, and 2 days in the hospital with horrible hospital food and no privacy, we were discharged home. Saturday morning, we met with the pediatrician, and then around 11:30am, we packed up our room and Matt went to get the car. I was told to wait for the wheelchair, which arrived with a 79 yr old woman to push me out. I felt so guilty riding in the wheelchair with her pushing it! I felt like I should be giving her the ride!
Meanwhile, our carseat swallowed Grey whole! He was tiny in it!
Because of his size, hydration status, slightly elevated bilirubin level, and no breastmilk yet, we decided to supplement Grey's diet with some formula . . . here is Matt feeding him a bottle . . .
Grey always looks very serious/concerned during feedings . . .
Grey's first bath . . . not a big hit . . .
Just after his first bath . . .
More pictures . . . on mommy's lap . . .
On daddy's lap . . . bright eyed . . .
To help his jaundice, the pediatrician recommended that we put him in the sunlight . . . so his crib has been right by our big bay windows . . .
And no problem sleeping in the sunlight . . .
Picture from Matt's iPhone . . .
Please keep us all in your prayers. I thank Jesus everyday for such an incredible gift! I don't know what I did to deserve him, and I will probably never be able to answer that. But I'm so in love! and so is Matt!
Because of his size, hydration status, slightly elevated bilirubin level, and no breastmilk yet, we decided to supplement Grey's diet with some formula . . . here is Matt feeding him a bottle . . .
Grey always looks very serious/concerned during feedings . . .
Grey's first bath . . . not a big hit . . .
Just after his first bath . . .
More pictures . . . on mommy's lap . . .
On daddy's lap . . . bright eyed . . .
To help his jaundice, the pediatrician recommended that we put him in the sunlight . . . so his crib has been right by our big bay windows . . .
And no problem sleeping in the sunlight . . .
Picture from Matt's iPhone . . .
Please keep us all in your prayers. I thank Jesus everyday for such an incredible gift! I don't know what I did to deserve him, and I will probably never be able to answer that. But I'm so in love! and so is Matt!
Thank you everyone who came to the hospital to see us, and all the phone calls. We are blessed by having such a supportive network of friends and family!
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Follow this link to see all pictures: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=bjqs4gp.1puo9hml&x=0&y=-88ro0p&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button
1 comment:
Congrats! He is adorable :) I saw you are using the ready-to-feed Similac Advance formula- that is what we used with Addisyn when there wasn't enough pumped milk at home when I was working. She went back and forth between the two without a problem so they must be similar in taste and texture. Its also nice not having to mix or heat anything. We always kept a bottle of that in the diaper bag for emergencies where I couldn't breastfeed (like driving in the car). Anyways, I can't wait to meet little Grey :)
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